


Baby on the Bridge

by erinm_4600



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Fictober 2019, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-28 18:49:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21141494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erinm_4600/pseuds/erinm_4600
Summary: In order to let Samantha get some sleep, Chakotay offers to babysit





	Baby on the Bridge

**Author's Note:**

> early-Season 3 *Written for fictober 2019, as promised to [bizarra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bizarra) months ago. Prompts: **"I'm doing this for you.", "Yes, I'm aware. Your point?", "That's what I'm talking about!", "There is a certain taste to it.", "Can you wait for me?", "It's not always like this."**  
**Disclaimer**: The original and current characters belong to Gene Roddenberry, CBS, UPN, Paramount, JJ Abrams, all the movie folks, the TV folks, and their respective actors. The OCs are mine.  
Originally posted on [LiveJournal](https://12to32.livejournal.com/346352.html)

Samantha shuffled into the Mess Hall, with a screaming Naomi on her shoulder. Chakotay glanced up from his tea and smiled for a moment, noticing that the new mother was _clearly_ exhausted. He quickly pushed up from his chair and moved to meet her. "Ensign, please," he said, softly, motioning to the vacated chair. "Let me."

Samantha could only nod, and adjusted her trajectory for the chair. He moved to the replicator and ordered an herbal tea, then returned to mother and daughter. "This should help," he offered.

"Thank you, Commander, but I don't think she's ready for tea," Samantha yawned.

"It's for you," Chakotay smiled. "Please," he added, motioning to take Naomi. Samantha wasn't about to argue, and carefully placed her daughter in his arms. "You look like you could sleep," he spoke quietly, moving around to the other side of the table as Naomi began to calm.

"I haven't been able to get her to stop. What is your trick?" Samantha asked, pausing to take a long sip. "Oh, this is wonderful," she mused, closing her eyes and enjoying the soothing smell.

"Why don't you go get some sleep, Ensign," Chakotay offered. At her look, he nodded. "I'll keep her company."

"But you're on duty," Samantha countered.

Chakotay laughed and shrugged slightly, before flinching as a tiny hand popped his cheek. "This shift has never been known for being very exciting, Ensign. I think we can make it."

"I can't let you, Commander. It's too much-"

"Samantha," his voice indicated this wasn't something to argue. "I'm doing this for you." He raised an eyebrow and nodded. "The tea will help you sleep. We will be _fine_." He glanced down to the infant, who was staring intently at his tattoo. "Won't we?"

Naomi let out a happy squeal and he smiled.

=^=

"Uh," Tom stuttered, trying to process what he was seeing, "Commander, there's a.. baby.. on the bridge." He glanced at Tuvok, who simply offered a stoic look, as usual.

Chakotay stepped down to the lower deck, baby Naomi on his shoulder, and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I'm aware." Shifting her weight, slightly, he added: "Your point?"

"No point, Sir," Tom shook his head and spun the chair back around to face the console. "Just observing." Behind him, Chakotay smirked as he sat down in the Captain's chair and lifted Naomi. "I know the crew compliment is light, but shouldn't we wait for her to be out of diapers before she's manning a station?" Tom asked a moment later, making a minimal adjustment to their current course.

=^=

After about three hours, everyone on the bridge had moved past the initial surprise of Naomi Wildman being on the the bridge. Chakotay was keeping her entranced with his voice, as he mindlessly read through the reports for the evening.

"That's what I'm talking about," he told her with feigned shock, when one item caused Naomi to screech. "There's a huge difference between Replicated carrots and real carrots. You have no idea what you're missing, little lady."

"Mmm," Tom hummed, closing his eyes and smiling at a memory. "Grammy's carrot cake. With cream cheese frosting," he added, turning in his chair. "No one could bake a cake like Grammy." With a nod to Chakotay, who had turned Naomi to face Tom, he added: "Her secret was nutmeg."

=^=

"My grandmother always made carrot stew," Chakotay commented. "There was a certain taste to it," he continued, making a face as Naomi began to squirm. "It tasted like bitter vegetable soup, and I hated it."

"Did you have carrots on Vulcan, Tuvok?" Tom asked the Security officer.

"We have plomeek," Tuvok replied, not looking up from his console. "It is the closest approximation to Earth's carrots." Tom made a face and shrugged in Chakotay's direction.

They all were very familiar with the flavor - or lack thereof - of plomeek, as it was one of Neelix's favorite ingredients, behind leeola root.

Naomi was no longer interested in the comparison of Alpha Quadrant vegetables and her face scrunched up as she started to cry.

"Oh, come on, kid. Neelix's cooking isn't that bad," Tom scoffed. Chakotay quickly shifted her to his shoulder and placed a hand against her back before standing.

"Smells the same, though," he muttered, moving quickly toward the Ready Room.

=^=

Chakotay scrambled slightly as he looked around the Ready Room. "Uh.. ah." He moved across the room, toward the couch, then turned back. "Computer, replicate a clean diaper, wipes, and a blanket." Naomi was continuing to shriek, and he didn't blame her. This was a situation no one wanted to be in. "I know," he murmured, "I know."

Reaching for the diaper with a free hand, Chakotay chucked it across the room, toward the couch. He tucked the blanket under his elbow and grabbed the wipes, then moved swiftly back across the space. "Can you wait for me, Little One?" he asked as he set her down on the couch, and made quick work of shaking the blanket out on the floor.

"Oh, I know. Tell me all about it," he requested, and went about changing the dirty diaper that had disrupted Naomi's mood.

=^=

Kathryn entered the Bridge and glanced up as she realized someone was missing. With a raised eyebrow, she turned on a heel and looked at Tuvok, who simply motioned to her Ready Room.

As the door slid open, Kathryn frowned, then stopped when she spotted the long form of her first officer, stretched out on the couch, seemingly asleep. Opening her mouth, to call him, Janeway noticed movement and stopped. Stepping to the side of the couch, she smiled at Naomi, who was trying to push herself up on Chakotay's chest.

"Good morning," Kathryn whispered as she pushed the blanket aside and reached for the baby, lifting her from her current mattress. "And what are you doing in here, young lady?" Kathryn asked as Chakotay jumped awake. "Commander. Sleeping on duty?" she asked with a chiding tone.

"I must've nodded off after she did," he replied, fighting a yawn. "It's not always like this, Captain."

"I should hope not," Kathryn replied, her attention fully on Naomi. "Should I put a reprimand in his file?" Naomi simply laughed and ducked her pointy forehead into Kathryn's cheek, causing the captain to yelp.


End file.
